Tag Archives: shipping scam

The USPS “Undelivered Package” scam

Posted on by The Old Wolf

Public service announcement: If you get a text like this, ignore it:

The Post Office will never send out text messages like this. But if you happen to be unaware enough to click the link, you will get something like this:

The bad URL (the legitimate post office site is https://www.usps.com/, and nothing else) and the bad grammar are red flags that this is a scam website.

Again, bad English (to ensure the successful delivery).

“Lump sum: 3¢”… right. Give these scummy drones your credit card number and they’ll use it or sell it and at the very least you’ll have to get that card cancelled and get a new one. At worst, you might be on the hook for fraudulent charges.

Be careful out there, and protect your vulnerable loved ones.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

Shipping Scams: One way the Nigerians find their accomplices

Posted on by The Old Wolf

I have received over the last year or so around a dozen fraudulent checks from Nigerian Craigslist scammers, about whom I have posted previously. I received an email today which illustrates one method by which they get people in the USA to act as their stooges.

New_Mail_Scam_for_Stealing_Identities1

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From: Andrew Joycelyn JoycxuelfaynAncudrew@outlook.com
 To: Me
A US based organization is looking for Mail Associates. This position requires no special knowledge besides entry-level computer skills and physical ability to work with correspondence and dispatches.
Perfectly fitting for stay-at-home moms, retirees and business owners who reside in the personal office during the day.

The work pressure is around five hours every day.

Duties:

– Accepting of correspondence and dispatches
– Checking whether the contents match the description
– Submitting photos 
– Sending shipments to clients
– Submitting of simple reports via our website

Prerequisites:

– A postal address anywhere in the United States
– Can work take responsibility 
– A personal car to deliver mail to the nearest USPS locations
– Physical ability to lift up to 25 lbs

This is a permanent job with a compensation of up to $2,000 net per month.

Should you become interested in this job offer, kindly reply to this email, and we will contact you at our earliest convenience.

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Whatever kind of “work” these drones are offering, you can be certain it’s not legitimate. In addition to printing and mailing fraudulent checks, criminals also use people like this to forward illicit items or stolen property. My suspicion is that anyone who applies will also be taken advantage of monetarily in some way.
The following text is from the Postal Inspectors’ website:

Don’t Be the Victim of a Reshipping Scam!

Have you been asked to receive packages at your home or business and mail them to someone else? Postal Inspectors advise: Don’t do it!

Criminals who conduct reshipping scams recruit victims through a variation of one of these scenarios:

Work-at-Home Scams

Criminals often post phony job announcements at Internet career sites, offering positions such as “merchandising manager,” “package processing assistant,” or a similar title. Job duties generally include receiving packages and mailing them to a foreign address on behalf of a client. The websites may look legitimate, and they may offer to send you postage-paid mailing labels.

The real story? The offers come from criminals who buy merchandise with stolen credit cards and need help smuggling the goods out of the country. Even the mailing labels are phony. And you are committing a felony when you help out these criminals.

What should you do if you’ve been tricked into
one of these scams?

  • Don’t accept packages at your address for people you don’t know.
  • Stop all communication with operators who try to solicit your help in reshipping items.
  • If you already have merchandise from such an offer, don’t mail it.
  • Keep all correspondence (e-mails, faxes, etc.) related to these scams.
  • Contact Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455. They’ll help you return stolen items back to the proper owners.
Also be aware of “Sweetheart Scams” and “Charity Scams” out lined in the same PDF document.
Stay away from such spurious offers; you’re dealing with the worst kind of soulless criminal, and will only stand to lose money and a whole lot more.
The Old Wolf has spoken.